If You Can Give It (I Can Take It)
by saviorsqueen
Summary: AU. No Magic. Based on the song Just Like Jesse James by Cher. Emma takes a two week vacation to Storybrooke, where she meets the beautiful mayor, Regina. Regina seems to hate her, and Emma is determined to win her over. What she doesn't know is Regina may be more willing to let her than she seems.
1. If You Can Give It

Emma Swan awoke to the screaming sound of Eye of the Tiger emitting from her smartphone's alarm, which happens to always be inconveniently placed right next to her face, instead of it's designated spot on the nightstand next to her bed. In her opinion, it's the perfect song to pump you up before kickstarting your long work day of running after, and almost always catching, idiots. She sighs heavily. _Another banner year._ Today happens to be her 28th birthday, and also the first day of her much needed two-week vacation.

When Emma was 19, she found herself freshly out of prison with no family, friends, or anything to her name. Just a yellow Volkswagen Beetle and an envelope of cash left to her by the ex that put her there in the first place. Not one to reminisce over past mistakes, and he certainly was one, she hopped in her new car and headed straight for Boston.

She was a foster child growing up, having been left on the side of the road as a newborn by her birth parents, so she moved around a lot and never stayed in one place for very long. She had been deemed a problem child by the age of five so families tended to overlook her, causing her to live a huge part of her life in and out of group homes. However, when she was 16, she was sent to Boston to live with a woman named Ingrid. It was the first time in her life that Emma felt truly loved, that is until Ingrid turned out to be a complete psychopath and pushed her into moving traffic. Still, Boston was always the closest she had to a home. She knew her way around the large city fairly well and she knew that finding a place to stay and someone to hire her wouldn't be too difficult, even with her criminal record. It wasn't long after she arrived that she ended up at Pinocchio's Bail Bonds and acquired a job working for a man named August. He was a tall man, not much older than her, and was hesitant at first to hire an ex-con, but she charmed her way into the position by telling him there are three things she's certain of when it comes to her qualifications:

1\. She can always tell when someone is lying.

2\. She can always find whoever she's looking for.

3\. She always gets who she wants.

The third wasn't exactly true. All she wanted was a family of her own, but she was more than capable of charming her way into the bed of any woman or man she wanted, so she deemed that as good a qualification as any.

Now, here she is almost nine years later, finally having saved enough to take a long break from catching bad guys that are stupid enough to believe they could skip out on their court dates. She loved her job dearly, and she even loved August who had become her closest and first real friend over the years, but all she wanted right now was to go relax on a beach somewhere quiet with beautiful views and beautiful women.

A few days prior, she picked up a small travel magazine and came across Storybrooke, a small fishing town on the coast of Maine. From the photos, it looked absolutely perfect. Small, but not too small. It's also the end of October, so she wouldn't have to worry about any potential tourists. She made up her mind right then that that's where she would be spending her time and nothing would get in her way.

She eventually rolled out of bed to get ready for the day around 10 am. Once she was showered and packed, she headed out to her car and started loading everything up.

It's 4 pm when she finally sees Storybrooke's welcome sign so she takes a moment to pull over to the side of the road and get a photo for August, who insisted that he wanted to see all of the quaint little town. She stepped out of her car and walked up to the sign, stopping in front of it to read the small writing that had been engraved on it.

WELCOME TO STORYBROOKE

where happy endings come true

 _Wow, they're really capitalizing on the whole fairytale vibe, huh?_

She shrugs it off and heads back to her car, ready to go find the first food place she sees. She's absolutely dying for a bear claw after her four-hour drive to get here. She has to admit, the fairytale thing is cute. When you arrive, you're greeted by a long and winding road surrounded by a beautiful forest on either side with, what is arguably, the greenest trees she's ever seen in her life. Not to mention the freshest air. You travel down this road for about 15 minutes before the view opens up and you're on top of a hill looking down on a town that Emma if she didn't know any better, would think had been magically dropped there at the edge of the forest. It appeared to be a tad bit smaller than the magazine had led her to believe, but she was okay with that considering right past the town was a beautiful and vast sea that she had been longing to see for years. She has been to many different places all over the United States, some beautiful and some not, but never had she seen a view as beautiful as this.

She starts off into the town and comes across a small diner called Granny's and notices it doubles as a bed and breakfast.

"Perfect."

This is exactly what she was hoping to find, so she parks her car across the street at Storybrooke Country Bread and heads into Granny's.

* * *

Regina is seated at her usual booth at the back of Granny's, leaning over a stack of paperwork as usual. This is a normal Monday night for her, seeing as she's the mayor of Storybrooke. It's a never ending supply of budget cuts and complaints. She doesn't really mind, though. It allows her to supply the kind of life for her son that she always dreamed of having for herself as a young girl. Plus, she's well aware that none of the imbeciles in her town could manage her job even half as well as she does. It's no secret that the citizens of Storybrooke and their mayor share no love for each other, but not a single one would deny that she's best suited for the job. Some even imagine that in another life, she could have easily been a queen. She definitely has the discipline and the take-no-shit attitude for it.

She hears the little bells above the door to Granny's sound-off, signaling that someone has either entered or left the establishment. As she glances up, she notices an unfamiliar blonde in a horrendous red leather jacket casually walking through the door like she owns the place. Regina decides right then that she despises her. She wishes that was all she felt, but there's no ignoring that the blonde is undeniably and irrevocably attractive and aside from her son, a smooth operating town, and the apple tree she's tended to since she was a little girl, pretty women happen to be her favorite thing. Especially pretty women that will prove to be a challenge. Not that she's ever found any worth her time here in Storybrooke. All that aside, Regina isn't too fond of strangers who come out of nowhere.

Before she has a chance to get up and inquire as to who this new stranger is, she overhears the blonde flirting with Ruby, the young waitress behind the counter. She's charismatic, Regina can tell that much. One flash of her very pretty smile and she had Ruby giggling like a young school girl who's just developed her first crush. The blonde didn't stop there, though. Once Ruby walked away to get started on her order, she turned to face another pretty brunette, Aurora, who was clearly sitting with her girlfriend Mulan. That didn't deter her in the slightest bit. Instead, she had them both swooning. Regina was absolutely shocked. Instead of watching how all this would unfold once Ruby came back and saw the new love of her life flirting with her friends, Regina got up and moved over to stand by the new woman.

"Excuse me?" Regina said, not entirely unkind, but not entirely nice either. The blonde spun around on her stool and flashed that offending smile directly at Regina.

"May I help you?" She made direct eye contact, something most people were too afraid to do with Regina. It almost made her forget why she was here in the first place. Almost.

"My name is Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke. I don't believe we've met." She held out her hand, Emma taking it in a vice-like grip.

"I'm Emma Swan. This is a lovely town you have here." She dropped her fake smile and granted Regina a genuine one. Regina thought this one was much prettier.

"May I speak to you for a moment in private? Over in my booth." Before Emma had a chance to answer, Regina had already spun around on her Louboutin heels and headed back to her seat, with Emma trailing behind her, a confused look on her face. _What could this perfect woman with me?_

As they took their seats, Regina started packing away the paperwork back into her briefcase without once addressing why she wanted to speak to Emma in the first place. When she was finished, she looked directly into Emma's eyes and considered the women in front of her for a moment before finally deciding to speak her mind.

"Miss Swan, I don't know why you're here, nor do I particularly care if I'm being honest. However, if you're just here to stir up trouble among my citizens, I suggest you get in your car and go back to wherever it is you came from."

Emma sat across from her, mouth slightly open in surprise. Just as she was about to defend herself, it was as if Regina had read her mind and she was cut off.

"I saw you flirting with Ruby, the woman behind the bar, just before you turned to flirt with two other women who were sitting right next to you. I don't know how they do things where you're from, but I suggest you go back there. I don't take lightly to people who come here and toy around with the emotions of my citizens. This is your warning. If you're looking for trouble, Miss Swan, you will most certainly find it if you do not heed it." And with that, she got up and walked straight out the door with a smug smile slowly forming across her mouth.


	2. I Can Take It

**Hey guys, so here's Chapter 2. From now on, all updates should be on Tuesday or Wednesday!**

* * *

It took Emma a solid minute to process what had just happened. Of course, the first thought that popped into her head was that she thought she's in love but she quickly shrugged that thought away. She'd never met a woman that challenged her before. Emma was used to girls fawning over her. She knew she was attractive with her deep emerald eyes and her sun-kissed hair. She was also in impeccable shape, thanks to her job and her rigorous five-day workout routine. What she wasn't used to, however, was meeting a woman so beautiful that she felt nervous, with butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Not to mention, said woman, calling her out on her flirting antics. Both were entirely new for Emma Swan. She did not get nervous and she was determined to prove that, even if only to herself. She was going to win over the snarky mayor even if it was the last thing she'd ever do, and she wasn't entirely confident that it wouldn't be. She wasn't going to be the one to lose this fight.

With a contented sigh, Emma stood and sauntered back over to the counter and waited for the waitress, Ruby - pretty name, she thought - to finish taking orders. When she finally arrived back in front of Emma, she was disappointed to realize Emma wasn't back to flirt with her some more.

"I'd like a room, please." Emma smiled softly, not wanting to further lead the girl on. There was another brunette on her mind now. Ruby, however, just shrugged it off.

"How long?"

"Just two weeks." As soon as the key was in her hand, Emma wandered off to her room and fell asleep almost instantly to thoughts of a certain woman she was determined to see tomorrow.

The next day came far too quickly for Emma's liking, but she had much to plan today. If you counted today, she only had 13 days to woo the mayor, or the queen as she called her in her head. She needed something to amuse herself, so she started assigning fairytale roles to the different townspeople she came across as a play on the town's name. The leggy waitress in the diner was Red Riding Hood, simply because of the red streak in her head and the wolfish grin she offered Emma upon meeting her. Not to mention, she worked in a place called Granny's. The old woman who had been behind the counter yelling at Ruby to stop flirting and get to back to work was undoubtedly Granny. The couple she had been speaking to, despite what Regina called it, were Sleeping Beauty and Mulan. And then there was Regina, who was irrevocably in every way, The Evil Queen.

She figured she'd start off the day with making an appointment for 10am at the mayor's office. There's no way Regina would be able to get up and walk away from her if it was her job to stay and speak to her. Yes, this was how she'd take control of the situation back. She'd even bring her lunch, as a peace offering, she convinced herself.

* * *

Regina was sitting at her desk when she heard a quiet knock on her door. She didn't remember having any appointments for 10:00, but then again, that's what she paid Tamara to keep track of so she didn't have to.

"Come in," she sighed heavily. What now?

She was expecting another office official, Tamara, an angry citizen here to complain some more, anything but what she actually saw. In walked Emma Swan, that same charming smile plastered onto her face.

"Miss Swan, I'm very busy, as you can clearly see. I don't have time to babysit you." She saw a small smirk forming at the corners of Emma's mouth.

"Actually, Madam Mayor, I have an appointment. I called this morning and was told your 10 o'clock hour was free."

Regina wanted to be upset, she really did. Or, at least, she told herself that she did but really, she knew she was thrilled to spend the hour with the strange woman. As Emma took her seat directly across from her, Regina noticed her lift up a bag she hadn't noticed Emma had been carrying. She eyed it carefully as Emma pulled out a grilled cheese with a side of onion rings, and then a salad and placed it in front of Regina.

"I wasn't sure what to get you, so I asked Ruby and she said you always order the grilled chicken salad without dressing. I hope that's okay." Regina could sense the anxiety in her voice so she smiled and graciously took the fork Emma was handing her. She forgot to eat breakfast that morning, so this had turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

"Thank you, Miss Swan."

"It's Emma, you know. You can use my first name."

Regina pondered for a moment. It's not that she didn't know Emma's name, she honestly just liked the reaction 'Miss Swan' caused. Everytime she used it, Emma went from badass-lady-killer to school-girl-with-a-crush. Though, she decided for right now she could use Emma's actual name.

She watched as Emma unwrapped her grilled cheese. How Emma looked like that while still eating that filth was beyond her.

"You eat like a child," Regina said, but not in an insulting matter. She was just stating an observation. Before she could stop herself, she mumbled something to herself about Henry having better eating habits than her. She was hoping Emma hadn't heard her, but of course she did.

"Henry? Who's Henry?"

If Regina wasn't mistaken, she could hear a hint of jealousy in the blonde's voice so she decided to use that to her advantage.

"Henry, Em-ma," she enunciated, "is the love of my life." With that, she saw Emma's face drop and could basically feel the disappointment radiating off her. She decided hurting her wasn't as fun as she thought it would be and decided to put her out of her misery.

"He's my son. He's ten." With that, she saw Emma's demeanor shift back to the flirtatious woman she had been just moments before.

They had a peaceful lunch after that, exchanging small bits of information about the other, such as how long Regina had been mayor, what Emma's job was back in Boston, why she had chosen Storybrooke, etc. Regina felt as though she genuinely liked Emma, which for Regina was a miracle. She never particularly liked anyone aside from her father and her son, who both happened to be named Henry. It could never go further than a short-lived friendship. She wouldn't allow it to. Sure, flirting with Emma was fun, as was making her nervous, but Emma would undoubtedly go back to Boston at the end of the two weeks. She would go back to her life, her job, her home. Not to mention whatever girls Emma had waiting on her. The thought made Regina angry, although she wasn't entirely sure why. It's not like they were in a relationship. Emma was a grown woman and allowed to see whomever she choose, so Regina pushed the thought to the back of her mind just in time to see Emma packing everything.

"I should probably get going," she sighed. She didn't really want to. If she could, she'd spend all day with Regina, who had been immensely nicer today than she was yesterday. She thought they really got to know each other today, and while eventually she'd have to return home, there was nothing stopping them from living in the moment right now. She didn't know where these sudden feelings were coming from, and she knew she had no chance at a long-term relationship but maybe, just maybe, they could have something beautiful for right now. With that thought, Emma stood up, gathering up all of the trash on Regina's desk so she could throw it away on her way out. When Regina offered her a small smile, she in turn offered a devious smirk and turned around to leave the office. Just as she was about to shut the door behind her, she looked over her shoulder at the mayor, who looked mildly disappointed that Emma hadn't said goodbye.

"Oh, Madam Mayor, that dress looks exceptionally well on you. I especially like the zipper placement." She winked and was out the door seconds later.

Regina looked down at her navy blue dress, a zipper starting from the bottom of the dress and going upward, circling around her waist. Regina sighed. She was supposed to be the one in control. Emma is supposed to be the one with butterflies. Emma is supposed to be the one with the goofy smile on her face. Emma is the one whose heart should be beating rapidly in her chest. Emma is supposed to be the one that's going to fall in lo- No, she cut her thoughts off, No. How is one little comment doing this to me?

Little did she know, Emma was downstairs in her car going through the same thoughts in her own mind.

What is happening to me? This did not go as planned.


	3. If This Heart Is Gonna Break

Regina was definitely a morning person. She never failed to wake up every morning with the sun, no matter the time she fell asleep. She had to have Henry up and ready for school by 6:30 if they expected to have time to stop at Granny's for breakfast before heading to the bus stop, which was their normal routine.

Regina hopped out of bed at 5 am to take her shower and get dressed for the day. She had just added the finishing touches on her makeup when she heard Henry coming down the hall.

"Mom, are we walking today or taking the Benz?"

If they were ever running late, which was rare as Henry was just as much a morning person as his mother, or if it was a chilly morning, they would always take her black Mercedes Benz. They much preferred to walk, so Regina had made a habit of checking the weather as soon as she woke up each day.

"It's a nice morning Henry, would you like to walk?"

Henry smiled up at her, before nodding his head and heading back down the stairs. Regina following close behind.

When the arrived outside of Granny's, Regina was stopped by Dr. Archie Hopper, the town's psychiatrist.

"Good morning, Henry. Madame Mayor, I'm glad I ran into you, may I have a word?"

She gave him her best politician's smile before giving him a slight nod and turning to Henry, instructing him to go ahead inside and order for them both.

Emma woke up to the grumbling pain in her stomach. After her meeting with Regina, she went back to the Inn and took a nap, waking around 7 pm. She headed down to the diner with the intention of getting food, but Ruby convinced her to do shots with her instead. Now here she was, 6 am the next morning, hungover and starving. At least she could say she had fun, though, and she thought that she and Ruby would be lifelong friends.

She begrudgingly rolled out of bed, threw on some shorts, and headed downstairs to the first floor, where the diner is located. Upon arriving, she plopped down in one of the booths, not consciously realizing it was the same one Regina had been sitting at, and waited for Ruby to walk over to her.

"Hey, Swan." Ruby giggled. "I see the tequila shots weren't very kind to you."

"Shut up, Rubes. This is all your fault. It feels like I got hit in the head with a hammer."

"I suppose you're right. Breakfast is on me. Whatcha want?"

Emma didn't hear anyone enter the diner over the pounding in her head, so when she told her new friend that she wanted a hot chocolate with cinnamon and a bear claw, she nearly fell out of her seat when she heard a little boy speak to her.

"You like cinnamon on your hot chocolate too?"

When her heart attack finally stopped, she was able to fully look at the boy. He was short, maybe between 8 years old and 12 years old. He had shaggy brown hair, large brown eyes, and a crooked smile that he was directing at her. He almost reminded her of someone.

 _Oh no._

"I do. Hey, kid, what's your name?"

"My name's Henry."

As soon as he got the words out of his mouth, she heard the jingle of bells and she looked up to see Regina walking in. _She must have been talking to someone outside._

She was expecting Regina to revert back to her hostile comments, to yell at her, to tell her to stay away from her son, anything. Instead, Regina just offered her a small smile and placed a hand on Henry's shoulder, guiding him to the booth in front of Emma's.

Ruby eventually brought Emma her food, and she was left alone again for all of five minutes before she could see Henry shuffling around in his seat so he could see her.

"Who are you?" He asked.

She heard Regina say his name in a warning tone, but she didn't mind. She wasn't the biggest fan of kids, but this kid was special. She could tell.

"I'm Emma. It's nice to meet you."

He gave her a smile, and then she watched him turn around and whisper something to his mother. Before Emma could say anything else, Regina leaned around him.

"Miss Swan, would you like to join us for breakfast?"

They ate in companionable silence, Regina eating a small turnover and Henry shovelling pancakes into his mouth, only stopping to inquire more about the new stranger in town.

"Where are you from?"

"Boston."

"What do you do?"

"Bail bonds person."

"Why are you here?"

"This is my vacation, I really wanted to see the beach."

"Why do you-" But Regina cut him off this time.

"Henry, stop interrogating our guest. It's impolite."

Emma saw the dejected look flash across his face and she had no idea why, but it hurt her heart. She decided she needed to defend him.

"It's fine, really. It's good to ask questions. I take it you guys don't get many visitors outside of tourist season?" She asked, directing the question to the woman in front of her this time.

"Hardly ever."

They went back to sipping their drinks for a few moments until Regina stood and gestured for them to come with her.

"Miss Sw- Emma, I have to walk Henry to his bus stop. Would you mind joining us?"

Emma smiled at the use of her name before nodding and getting up to join the mother and son on their short walk.

Once they made sure Henry was safely on the bus, Regina turned to Emma.

"What made you choose Storybrooke?"

Emma thought for a moment before deciding to go with the truth.

"I saw it in a travel magazine. It looked small and peaceful and like it came straight out of a Disney movie. Plus the photos I saw of the ocean were breathtaking."

Regina considered her answer and then finally linked their arms together, instructing Emma to walk with her. They stayed like that the entire way, strolling along in silence, that was oddly not uncomfortable before they arrived at a small path through the woods that you'd never notice unless you knew where to look. Regina unlinked their arms, taking her hand instead.

"Follow me?" Regina asked, almost hopefully. Emma didn't know what to make of the situation, but she didn't think she could ever deny that beautiful face staring back at her anything, so she nodded and followed closely behind.

The path was narrow and winding. It started in a thick forest, completely surrounded by trees on both sides before opening up into a large overgrown field after about five minutes of walking. They continued on the path, Emma was not sure if she was about to be murdered or not. She certainly wouldn't put it past Regina but the field eventually turned back into the forest for a short distance and then Emma saw it.

Up ahead, the forest ended and they walked towards the most beautiful beach she'd ever seen. The water was calm, slowly crawling towards the shore before gradually moving back out. She noticed a concrete path leading out to the sea and then making its way down the shore, and a beautiful crystal blue lighthouse sitting out in the middle of the water

Regina glanced over at Emma and noticed the blonde was stunned.

"Even in the fall and winter months, our teenagers like to spend time down at the pier. This part of the beach is owned by my family. No one comes out here aside from Henry and me anymore. If you're ever looking for a nice relaxing day at the beach, you're welcome to come out here anytime you wish. We installed the concrete path to make it easier to not get everything covered in sand. Over there," She pointed towards a small shed Emma hadn't noticed at first, "is where we keep chairs, extra towels, Henry's beach toys, anything you can think of really. You're welcome to use anything you might need. All I ask is that you don't bring anyone else here. Most people aren't aware that it exists. "

It took Emma a solid two minutes to process everything she had just been told.

 _A private beach. A private beach I get to use. A private beach owned by Regina. Regina is letting me use her private beach. Holy shit._

"Regina this is amazing," she said once she had finally found her words again. Regina saw a single tear escape Emma's eyes and she decided right then that she needed to know why this was so important to the blonde. She reached for her hand again, walking them over to the shed. She retrieved two fold-out chairs and set them down close enough to the ocean so that Emma could feel the water if she chose to, ignoring her brain constantly asking her why she was doing this for someone she barely knew.

They sat for a few moments, just taking in the scenery and each other's company. Regina decided she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why is the beach so special to you? I don't mean to pry or to make you uncomfortable, I just noticed that it made you cry and while that wasn't my intention, I'd be very interested in knowing if you're comfortable with sharing."

Emma looked over at her and hesitated for a moment.

 _There's no harm in telling her. Soon, you'll be out of this town anyway and she just gave you the greatest gift of your life._

Emma sighed but began to speak anyways.

"I was abandoned on the side of the road as a baby. I was in and out of foster homes and group homes until I was 16 and eventually ran away. All of the homes happened to be near beaches. If things got bad, and god did they get bad, I would sneak away and come to the beach. No matter the family or the city, the beach was always the same. It was always there. It never left me. All I've wanted, since I left, was to see the beach again. Boston has beaches, but it's a large city. There are always so many people. That's why I chose Storybrooke."

Emma took a sigh of relief. It has been so long since she had opened up to anyone about her love of the sea.

Regina wanted to know more about what happened to her after she ran away, but she figured she'd save that for another day as she was cut off from her thoughts by Emma.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"For what?"

Emma smiled. "For allowing me to come here, for sharing this with me. For listening to me. This is the greatest gift I've ever been given."

Regina didn't know what came over her, but with every slow and precise word Emma said to her, she could feel her heart swelling. It was like her body flipped itself onto autopilot as she leaned in slowly, giving Emma time to back away. When she didn't, Regina firmly pressed her lips against Emma's.

When they broke apart, they shared a smile for barely a second before Regina stood up.

"I'm sorry to kiss and run, but I do have to get to work. I enjoyed this, Emma. I hope we can do this again. Enjoy your day."

"You too, Regina."

And with that, she was gone.

It was hours later when Emma's mouth finally stopped buzzing from the contact. It was even more hours later, when Emma finally fell asleep, that she stopped thinking about the fact that Regina had kissed her.

When she finally woke up the next morning, there was a small envelope that had been stuck under her door. She moved to pick it up, noticing 'Miss Swan' written across the front of it in perfect calligraphy. She opened it, careful to not rip anything and read:

 _Emma,_

 _I know we've only known each other for three days, so maybe I shouldn't have kissed you. I was wrapped up in the emotions of your confession and my judgment got away from me. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable in any way. I would really like it if you'd come to dinner tonight. An apology dinner, if you will. I live at 108 Mifflin Street. Dinner will be at 7 pm sharp. I hope to see you there._

 _Regina_


	4. It's Gonna Take a Lot to Break It

By 3pm, Emma had all of her clothes unpacked and scattered around her room. Sure, to others, this was just a dinner. But this was a dinner with Regina. She knew she would be dressed to the nines, so Emma couldn't show up in her regular jeans and tank top. She owned one dress that was short and black that she had brought along in case she went out on a date, but it could hardly be considered formal. She sighed heavily. Nothing she owned would do, so she gathered her wallet and headed out the door. After a few minutes of walking down Main Street, she came across a small dress shop and headed inside.

"Hello, would you like any assistance?" She turned to see a small woman with a pixie haircut staring at her with big green doe eyes. She looked more like a school teacher than a retail worker, standing there in her medium length summer dress covered in bluebirds with a matching blue cardigan, but who was Emma to judge?

"Hi, yes, please! I'm going to dinner tonight at the Mayor's house and I need something semi-formal to wear." She saw the look of fear flash in the woman's eyes at the mention of Regina, but it was quickly replaced. She decided she was going to ask Regina about that later. The woman grabbed her hand and led her to a small section in the back of the shop where the cocktail dresses were located.

"Any of these would be an excellent choice. I have to head back up to the front, but if you need any more help, just come and get me. Oh, and, welcome to Storybrooke."

Emma thanked her before turning to take in all of her options. She immediately spotted the perfect one. It was a skin-tight red dress that could both pass for formal occasions and a night out. She just hoped she'd look good in it. And that Regina would agree. She paid for it and headed back out to Main Street in direction of the nearest liquor store.

She was pleased to find that Storybrooke had a rather large selection of wines. Emma was more of a beer girl herself, and whiskey if she was feeling extra daring, but wine had never been her thing. She knew absolutely nothing about picking out a good wine, or even what Regina would be into so she decided to rely on humor instead of taste and grabbed up a bottle of Tesora Della Regina Pinot Grigio. The one time she tried pinot grigio, she remembered absolutely hating it but even if it was awful, she hoped the name earned her a laugh.

At 6:30, Emma arrived at 108 Mifflin Street. She didn't know what she was expecting Regina to live in, but honestly, a _fucking mansion_ didn't ever cross her mind. This house was huge. She looked down and adjusted her dress one last time, smoothing out invisible lines before walking up to the porch. She paired her dress with 3-inch black heels, minimal eyeliner, and a nude lipstick so the dress would be the center of attention.

She knocked on the door before taking a step back, her nerves finally catching up to her. _It's just dinner_ , she thought, _there's nothing to be scared of. Sure she wants to apologize for kissing you, but that doesn't make this a date. Get it together, Swan._ The door opened.

When Emma arrived in Storybrooke, she looked down upon the town below her and was certain that it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. As soon as Regina opened her front door, she knew she had been wrong. She was unable to tear her eyes away from the sight before her. Regina stood before her wearing dark black jeans, a crisp champagne colored silk button up shirt, 6 inch Louboutin heels, and minimal makeup. She was beautiful with her face full of makeup, drop dead gorgeous really, but she was a thousand times more beautiful to Emma like this. Emma was too busy being mesmerized by Regina to notice that Regina had been equally stunned by Emma, her eyes trailing down the blonde's body, taking in every inch of the sight before her.

When Emma broke from her trance, she held the wine bottle, almost forgotten, out to Regina.

"I, uh, I didn't know what you'd like so I kind of just picked based on name alone. I hope it's okay." Emma stammered out, glancing down at her shoes in embarrassment. The idea seemed funny earlier, but now standing in front of Regina, she became slightly less confident. She was pulled from her negative thought by the prettiest laugh she's ever heard in her life.

"It's lovely, Emma. Come in," She said, moving aside so Emma could enter, "Would you like a glass now? You're a bit early, so dinner isn't done yet." She linked their arms together again, leading her to the large kitchen at the end of the foyer.

"I'm not a big wine drinker. Never had the taste for it, I guess. But please, you go ahead. I'm fine with water or something." Emma shrugged. She should have bought herself some beer. She was hoping Regina wouldn't take offense to her not wanting to drink the wine with her. She thought she should have said yes, even if she hated it.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?"

"That sounds lovely, thank you." Emma was grateful that Regina had other options. She didn't know if she could make it through tonight without some kind of liquid courage. She had decided earlier in the day that tonight would go one of two ways. Either she would make it clear that the kiss was welcomed and kiss her again, or she would be rejected and move on with her life. Not that she thought that possible at this point. Four days of knowing her and Regina had already worked her way into Emma's mind and heart. _No, not heart,_ Emma thought, _I barely know her._

Regina handed her the glass of cider and motioned for her to follow to the dining room table. The table could easily sit six people and it was covered by a deep red cloth that reached the ground, adorned with a black lace design around the edges. It was positively regal. She noticed only two plates had been set out.

"Henry won't be joining us?" She didn't want to get her hopes up, but this totally looked like a date.

"I assumed it would be easier for us to talk without a rambunctious ten year old controlling the conversation. He's staying at a friend's house for the night. I'll be back in a moment. I'm going to go gather the meal. I do hope you like lasagna. I've been told that mine is the best in town." Regina smirked before walking away.

When Regina made it to the kitchen, she finally took a moment to gather her thoughts. Her intentions for tonight were to apologize for kissing Emma and then distance herself from speaking to her, as she clearly couldn't keep her emotions in check around the blonde. But no, Emma just _had_ to show up wearing _that_ and now she had to do all she could to not kiss her again. She sighed, pulling the lasagna out of the oven and headed back to the dining room but not before grabbing the entire bottle of wine. She'd need it.

She served a healthy portion to both of them before taking her seat across from Emma. They probably looked weird, sitting across from each other, but Regina needed to be as far away from her as possible at the moment. They made mindless small talk while eating, Emma made sure to comment on how delicious she thought it was after every third bite.

"What did you put it in this to make it spicy? Usually, I'm not a fan of spicy food, but this works so well with all the other flavors." Emma had said.

"Red pepper flakes. Gives it some kick." That response earned her a laugh. A laugh that she wanted to hear as many times as possible before Emma inevitably left.

When dinner was done, they headed into Regina's study and sat next to each other on the couch, both a little too close for it to be strictly platonic. Halfway through dinner, Regina's wine had started to kick in and so had Emma's glass of cider but they both kept drinking despite that.

"Can I ask you a question?" Emma said, finally glancing up at Regina.

"Of course."

"I went to a store today to buy this dress and I mentioned I was having dinner with you tonight and the lady working looked terrified," Emma said with a laugh.

"That isn't exactly a question, but I get what you're asking. Her name is Mary Margaret. We don't get along. I won't bore you with the details but it's a hatred that goes back twenty years. I'm surprised she didn't try to talk you out of it." There was a hint of sadness in her voice when she entertained that last thought.

"She wouldn't have been able to. I'm not interested in what others think of you. I like you. You're tough and funny and you stood up to me and put me in my place. You're also a pretty great kisser." Emma offered her a genuine smile.

"I'm sorry that I kissed you. It was unprofessional and I should've asked first. I was caught up in my emotions and I apologize." At that, Regina started to move slightly away from her but she was stopped by a hand on her knee. She looked up to stare into glossy emerald eyes.

"Don't be sorry, I didn't mind. I didn't come here looking for anything serious. I certainly wasn't expecting to find anyone I'd want around for the long run. You're different, Regina. I can sense it. There's something special about you and Henry both. Please don't feel bad about the kiss. I know we've only known each other for a few days, but I'd like to keep getting to know you. And... I wouldn't mind kissing you again." Emma said with such sincerity that Regina's heart melted.

"You wouldn't?"

With that, Emma's mouth was on hers in a flash, the alcohol completely forgotten.


End file.
